


A Hunter's Light

by TSValing



Series: Dawn and Dusk [2]
Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Time, Purely Self-Indulgent Smut, and some fluff but mostly smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-11-02 01:08:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20570027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TSValing/pseuds/TSValing
Summary: Those moments at dawn and dusk, when sun and shadow are free to embrace. Those moments at noon when the shadows dance beneath the sun, hiding them in the jungles and cooling their heated flesh as they play. Those moments at midnight when the shadow rules all, save for the light of the moon and stars to play upon their skin as they run wild and free.





	A Hunter's Light

She found him in the canyon leading west from the Daybrink, looking pleased as can be as he wiped the blood from his knife on a cultist’s shirt. The war had been won in Meridian, the fires put out, but there were still some Shadow Carja rogues causing trouble in the desert.

The valley was littered with the remains of corrupted machines, Eclipse troopers, and a handful of Kestrels. Nil stood tall, the lone survivor of a massacre, moaning happily to himself.

“Just think, Nil, you could have enjoyed all this a lot sooner if you considered my suggestion months ago,” she said as she brought her Strider to a halt beside him.

A blood drunk smile was all he gave in answer.

He was snapped from his pleased stupor by a skittering of rock further up the pass. Their bows were in hand and pointed at a band of fighters that had slid to a stop when they saw the carnage before them. They were dressed in ragged armor, covered in filth, and too thin to be seasoned soldiers. She could see them trembling from thirty paces away, their postures speaking only of terror.

“By the Sun, it’s them,” she heard one say before they all dropped their weapons and raised their arms in surrender.

Nil sighed, lowering his bow. She raised her brow in surprise at the easy acceptance, but he only shrugged. “They’re slaves. This war was forced upon them. Even I am not so bloodthirsty as to murder those who have no desire to fight.”

“If that’s true, then go to Meridian,” she called to the slaves. “Surrender yourselves to Avad. He’s a good and just man. You have nothing to fear from him.”

The men looked at each other. A silent conversation passed before they slowly lowered their arms and bowed their heads. The next second they sprinted away, taking the road running north and then east rather than cutting through the pass where Nil still stood surrounded by the corpses of his fallen prey.

“I was getting worried when you didn’t return to Meridian after the fighting stopped,” she said once they were alone. “Uthid said you chased after a band of Eclipse troopers. I believe he said something about you frothing at the mouth with a frenzied glee.”

“Exaggeration,” Nil huffed.

“Mmhm, I’m sure,” she teased.

“Have you ever seen me froth at the mouth before?”

She shrugged. “There’s a first time for everything.”

He rolled his eyes, but she caught the sharp edge of a smile. “So? Where are you riding off to now?” he asked as he eyed her Strider. “Were you hoping to hunt with me again?”

“What? And spoil your fun by taking all the good prey? No, I’ll leave the last of it to you,” she said.

“How generous.” His sharp smile grew and there was a glint of excitement in his eye. “But, to be honest, hunting this scum would be a lot more fun with you. You’re right – I really should have considered it sooner. This prey is far more challenging to kill than simple bandits – amateurs compared to real killers like us.”

“_Honest killers_,” she amended for him.

He grinned. “Yes, yes – honest killers. Killers of killers.” He ran a hand over the blue wiring of her mount, his good mood waning. “But you didn’t answer my question – where are you going now? The Sacred Land is in the other direction.”

She sighed, turning her face to the setting sun. “There’s one more place I need to go. A woman I’ve been looking for this whole time – I think I finally know where she is.”

There was a prick of pain in her heart, a bittersweet feeling rose up in her chest to grip tight around her throat. The feeling grew when Nil looked at her with his solemn, silver gaze. He always seemed to know what she felt – sometimes she hated that, but in this instant, she was glad to see that rare show of empathy she doubted he had for anyone else.

“Will you come back?” he asked quietly, his tone filled with a distant hope. She nodded easily and his sullen mood lifted. “Good, because once I finish killing these crazed zealots for you, I suspect we’ll see a fresh flow of filth infecting these lands. Helis carved deep wounds in our tribes, and bandits sure do love to pick at those bloody fissures. I’ll be lonely if I have to kill them all without my partner.”

She hummed. “I thought you didn’t get lonely?”

He shrugged. “That was before someone broke my heart and taught me what true loneliness is.”

She couldn’t help but glance at his chest, at the blood smearing his bronzed flesh. “How’s your wound?” she asked as she stared at the spot he swore she cut.

“Better now that you’re here,” he said honestly.

Helis and HADES were dead, leaving her with a lightness in her heart, a sense of freedom she hadn’t felt while tracking her prey through the wilds. She blamed that gentle satisfaction for what she did next, for giving in to an urge she was always so careful to keep restrained.

She slipped off her Strider and without a moment of hesitation, a single doubt or hint of fear, she wrapped her arms around Nil’s neck to pull him in for one more hug. He hadn’t expected the gesture, even after the innocent embrace they shared before battle, but he didn’t try to stab her, so at least that meant he trusted her enough to come in close without warning.

“What’s this for?” he asked as he gently wound his arms around her waist.

She didn’t really have an answer. She had just given in to a compulsion, allowed herself this one indulgence. She buried her nose against his neck and breathed him in, savored the heady scent of him – sweet and spicy, a touch of wildness, of the forest and desert, drenched in blood and sweat from his last battle.

“Hm, I see,” he whispered as he tightened his hold and nuzzled her hair. Apparently, her non-answer was answer enough for him. It always was.

They sank into each other on a shared sigh. She hadn’t realized how starved for touch she had been until she hugged Nil before, savored that long embrace as they stood in the shadow of war. And now as peace dawned anew, she felt greedy for his touch, eager to drink in as much of the warm sensation flowing through her body, to revel in the pleasant shivers that tickled down her spine. The heat of his body, the strength in his arms, the tender intimacy of his breath on her ear – it was all so intoxicating, she hated the thought of letting go.

She bit her lip to restrain a whimper when she felt him pull back. Forcing her hold to ease, she prepared herself for the sting of letting go.

_Rost was right. I shouldn’t get too attached, especially not to a man like Nil,_ she told herself.

But just as she thought Nil was about to push her away, his breath fanned against her cheek. A rumble of laughter filled his throat, came out as nothing more than an amused hum. She felt his grin just before he whispered, “I feel an urgent need to retaliate after your vicious sneak attack.”

“What? Retaliate? Sneak attack? What are you –” Her words lodged in her throat the moment she felt his lips press hot and hard to her skin.

Her lips parted in a silent gasp at the kiss. A warm flutter filled her chest, a swirling heat took her belly. One simple gesture felt like blaze poured on an open flame.

“Mm, such a sweet, tender wound you gave me,” he whispered against her flesh. The coarse hair above his lip tickled her with every word, sending a tingle of pleasure to travel from her cheek, down her neck, her spine, to lend another spark to the energy that threatened to consume her senses.

She wondered if he had any idea what he had just done to her.

Nil pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. His grin was proud, the gleam in his eyes spoke of a smug sort of happiness. He brushed a hand over her cheek, his thumb tracing the spot his lips had just been. His smile widened as she felt heat blossom beneath his touch.

“And now you have one to match. I can even see the blood welling beneath your flesh, drawing out the ache, making your skin crave another callous strike,” he whispered.

She couldn’t speak, couldn’t form a word to respond, couldn’t even grasp the concept of language as his thumb traced down her jaw, around to her chin. Her mouth fell open again as he grazed her lower lip, his molten silver eyes fixed on them with obvious intent.

“But will a simple retaliation be enough to quench my desire for vengeance?” he mused. “Most wars begin with one side retaliating against the other, each strike escalating the violence. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. A kiss for a kiss. That’s never how it goes. More like a head for an eye. A heart for a tooth. But a kiss…” His eyes tore from her lips, met her own. She felt dizzy, falling toward him without a care, yet not moving at all. “I won’t fight an unwilling opponent,” he whispered as his thumb drew away from her lip. “Just say the word and –”

She slammed her lips to his. It was careless, impulsive, sloppy and inexperienced, but Nil didn’t seem to care once he realized she had taken the initiative from him. His hand dove into her hair, his head tilted just so, and suddenly the kiss felt controlled – felt _right_.

His lips moved against hers – soft and pressing, languid and pulling. There was a nip, a gasp, a gentle thrust of his tongue, a tease and a promise. She opened to him, allowed him to escalate the attack, to press his advantage as she gave in to the urgency tugging at her belly. The hand in her hair tangled itself in the thick, heavy strands. His other hand slipped down her back, traced the curve of her spine, and then gripped her backside hard to pull her body flush to his.

She moaned into his mouth and lashed at his tongue when he struck at her again. He returned the moan with a rumbling groan, a breathless growl, and nipped her lip before attacking once more.

He tore his lips away without warning. She gasped for a breath, whimpered at the loss of his heat, left only with the memory of his taste on her tongue. But Nil wasn’t done with her. He dipped to the side, snarling as he bit her neck in just the right spot to make all feeling leave her legs. She would have collapsed if his hold wasn’t so secure.

“Now this is the fight I should have asked for,” he growled in her ear. She shuddered as his tongue darted out to trace over the sensitive shell, and then moaned as he nibbled the spot just below her ear that made her feel drunk and giddy. “If only I had known…”

She had a feeling this fight would leave them just as bloody and bruised, but hopefully end in a more satisfactory way, where they could both walk away sated.

“Are you just going to keep talking, or are we going to do this?” she snapped.

He chuckled in her ear. “Such ferocity,” he rasped as she tried to pull his face back to hers. “And impatient, too.” She yelped when he gripped her backside hard enough to bruise, lifting her easily as he moved them away from her Strider, stepped over a dead cultist, and slammed her back against a nearby boulder. “This war between you and I has only just begun, Aloy. Savor this first battle. I know I will.”

She snarled at the taunting lilt in his voice, but her impatience was smothered when his lips latched onto hers again. Her nails dug into his neck, pushed at his feathered headdress, and held him fast as they devoured each other. He hissed against her mouth, pressed her hard into the rock, and rolled his hips against hers. The metal plating of his armored belt and tassets dug into her, but she could feel another hardness teasing the cleft between her legs.

She gave him a shove, forced him back enough to get her hands between them, and tugged at the ties holding the armor in place. He broke the kiss to stare at her with an arched brow, amused and curious.

“I believe I mentioned something about taking the armor off the next time we embraced,” she explained as his belt and tassets fell to the canyon floor.

“So, you did,” he cooed before diving in for another assault on her eager and willing lips.

This time, when his hips pressed to hers, she could clearly feel the hard bulge straining to be free of his silk trousers. She parted her legs, just enough to give him room to wedge between, and drank in his moan when he bucked against her core. A tendril of pleasure curled in her belly, but it wasn’t quite enough, not with her hide skirts in the way.

As if reading her mind, Nil’s hands fumbled at her waist, tugging at her linen undertunic until his fingers brushed naked flesh. The brief shock of his skin touching hers made her gasp, eager for more. While he worked at the knotted silk and cord holding her skirts in place, she pushed his helm off his head and carved her fingernails over his scalp. His hair was shorn down in an undercut, the sides and back nothing more than soft bristles her fingers slipped right over. The slash of black hair atop his head was tied back with a leather string that she indulged in yanking out. Nil moaned as his long hair fell free, the silken strands immediately tangled in her desperate grasp. She could feel a few small braids scattered among the wavy locks and couldn’t help but smile when she felt the end of one secured by a wooden bead.

“Trying out some Nora fashion?” she teased, her lips still brushing his.

He sneered and gave her belt a hard jerk. “Maybe… Though you Nora wear far too much clothing.”

She snickered at the difficulty he was having. “I thought half the fun was in the challenge.”

A growl rumbled against her chest and made her shiver. His snarling grin made her buck against him, urging him to get the damn skirts off already. It took only one more tug, but the belt finally loosened, sending the hides to pool at their feet with his tassets.

“_Now_ we can have fun,” he said as he leaned in to nip her throat, his hands slipping beneath her tunic as he grasped and pulled her hard against him. She gasped when he thrust, grinding his cock against her core with more urgency. The tendril of pleasure grew into a solid, real thing, gripping her as a slick heat built between her thighs.

She yanked at his hair, forced his head back so she could lean in to retaliate for his harsh bites. He moaned when her teeth sank into flesh near his pulse, his hips wedging comfortably between hers to reward the bite with a languid thrust. Her eyes rolled back in her head at the friction, the way his body slid against hers just so and sent a ripple of want through her.

She dragged her nails down his chest as she dove for his silk trousers. His breathy little gasp as he stole her lips again thrilled her; it felt like a tiny victory in this war. But then his hands slid up her tunic and found her breasts, easily swallowed up in his grip. She let out a breathless curse when his fingers seized her nipples, giving them a hard pinch and twist. There was a touch of pain that melted into pleasure as he loosened his hold to roll his thumbs over the hardened buds in time with the sultry thrust of his tongue against hers.

Her fingers found the ties of his trousers, determined to feel the part of him her body ached to experience. She had never touched an erect man – or any man, to be honest – but she was curious and willful and so very eager to learn.

But Nil froze all at once, ripped away from her and snatched her hands up in his before she could loosen his pants. His silver eyes had darkened, the touch of blue swallowed up by grey like storm clouds forming over the Jewel. His breath came heavy and quick, and she knew by the tension in his shoulders that he _wanted_ her but for some dumb reason decided to stop.

“Nil…” she warned through clenched teeth. Her body felt cold with the bit of distance he put between them. An aching need gripped her core and if he didn’t put his hands back on her soon, she would take matters into her own hands.

“Are you certain of this, Aloy?” he asked, gaze hard and wild, yet still she saw the hesitation, the fear. “You won’t regret what we’re about to do?”

The urge to roll her eyes was difficult to resist, but that desperation in his voice gave her pause. Nil was serious. He needed her honest consent before they took another step forward. His honor demanded it of him.

She shook his hands from hers and snagged the waist of his trousers to jerk his body against hers once more. She held his wide-eyed stare with a hard glare.

“I want you. _Right. Now._” She loosened the knot securing his trousers and silently dared him to stop her.

He sucked in a deep breath when her hand darted in and gripped his hard member. He sagged into her with a moan a second later, the worry vanishing into a lopsided, teasing smirk.

“Mmm, are you _really_ sure, Nora? What will your Matriarchs think if they hear their _Anointed_ allowed a tainted, faithless man to defile her?

“Well, _Carja_, I don’t give a damn what they think,” she hissed as her ire rose at the mention of her new title. She gave his cock a hard jerk and grin viciously when he fell into her, bracing himself on the rock at her back as he groaned in pleasure. “Besides, according to the Nora, I’m blessed by the Goddess and free to explore as I please.” She gave another hard tug that took his breath away. “I think she’ll forgive her daughter for exploring the body of a _tainted man_.”

She nibbled her lip as his eyes shut while she teased the soft skin encasing hard flesh. Her breath caught as she ran her thumb over the tip, wiping away a bead of fluid. It earned a deliciously deep moan from Nil.

“But, tell me, Nil,” she whispered as she loosened her grip on the gently swaying man. His eyes struggled to reopen, to focus on her with that hungry gaze, “are you sure you want to be doing this with a savage girl from the east?”

“You better fucking believe I do,” he rasped before capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

He leaned into her, bracing himself against her body as he thrust into her grip and reached for the ties of her leggings. The strained moans and gasps he let out as she gently pumped his length, exploring the tender flesh to learn what he liked, made her feel hot and slick and she knew he noticed the moment his hand went into her pants.

He nipped her lip and chuckled as his finger slipped through her folds. She exhaled at the gentle, teasing touch, rolling her hips to silently ask for more – whatever more might entail.

“Remember the camp in the Gatelands?” he quietly hissed against her lips. “That hot day, with the sun baking off the sandstone arches?”

“Nngh, what about it?” she groaned as his finger flicked over the hardened bud at the top of her slit. The touch made her legs go weak, but the boulder and the man in front of her made sure she didn’t fall.

“That was a good hunt. You were especially vicious that day. I wanted to shove you against the mesa and see if you were this wet, this fucking aroused by that fight. I know I was,” he confessed.

“Ugh, are you trying to ruin the mood, Nil?” she snapped, giving him a hard squeeze and tug that she hoped was painful.

Nil’s strangled groan and the way his eyes rolled back in his head said it had hurt, but he seemed to like that.

“I thought you spent all our hunts fantasizing about killing me,” she hissed.

“Oh, that too.” His head fell to her shoulder, his gasping breaths fanning over her flushed skin. “Why else would I have gotten so hard as I watched you kill all that scum?” He thrust a finger inside her with a satisfied hiss.

Her breath hitched at the sweet intrusion. “You’re sick,” she gasped while she squeezed her thighs together to hold him in place. Something inside her swirled pleasantly as he curled his finger in. Her hips rolled on instinct, grinding her clit into the palm of his hand. “Absolutely disgusting.”

His breathy chuckle made her shudder and moan. “In my defense, I hadn’t really considered that I _only_ wanted to fuck you. After killing for so long, I couldn’t quite tell the difference between lusts. But I know better now. It wasn’t the slickness of your blood I longed to feel on my fingertips.” He pulled his hand back just enough to add a second finger when he thrust in. He nipped her throat when she cried out at the stretch. “_This_ is what I wanted. The heat and fire of your lust, the passion I knew you kept hidden with every hunt. Nngh, this will be far sweeter than any fight, if only because we can do it as many times as we desire.”

As he spoke, his fingers continue to curl and thrust, rubbing a spot inside her that made her vision dot with black stars and stole her breath from her lungs. His thumb found her clit, circled the bud in time with his thrusts. Faster and harder. She forgot her exploration and teasing of his cock, too far gone in the pulsing heat that threatened to consume her.

“Who knew you would be so selfish with your lust,” Nil hissed in her ear as she bucked into him, trying to get closer to that edge that promised her _something_ she knew would be glorious – far better than any sensation she elicited for herself. “But I’ll gladly watch you fall apart on only my hand.”

And she did. A few harsh, circling thrusts, a nibble of her ear, and a hard pinch of her nipple sent her plummeting over an edge. Her body tightened, a pleasurable spasm gripped her core and tore a euphoric cry from her throat. The bolt of sheer bliss that surged through her felt like the snap of a shock wire in her core. She gasped for air while her vision turned black, her body trembling with unfettered energy, and the world vanished from beneath her.

It felt like an eternity had passed before she came to, feeling Nil’s hand gently stroking her wet folds while he left sloppy wet kisses on her neck, suckling and laving her flesh between tender nips. She shivered when his mouth pressed behind her ear and his hand stilled entirely.

“You die beautifully, Aloy,” he whispered between soft kisses. “I can’t wait to see you die again.”

She sighed, content as the shivers began to subside, leaving only a sweet ache between her thighs. If that was death, then she would happily allow him to kill her for the rest of their lives.

Remembering her own task, she grazed her hand over his cock, reveling in the quiet moan that laced his kisses. He nipped her when she squeezed him once, growling as she gentled her touch and teased her fingers over the swollen, leaking head.

“You’re such a tease,” he hissed in her ear. “I’ll remember that for next time.”

A shiver trailed down her spine as she wondered what could happen the next time they saw each other. It could be weeks, months until their paths crossed again. Would he really want her still? Would she want him?

She shook away those questions and gripped him hard again. It was better to focus on the present, to enjoy the moment she hadn’t expected to come.

“Nngh, that’s better,” he gasped, thrusting into her grip while he slipped his hand from her leggings.

She watched, mesmerized as he slid his fingers into his mouth and sucked them clean. Her mouth went dry, her core clutched at nothing, and she felt the coil winding tight all over again.

He smirked when he caught her stare and slowly, purposefully, slipped his fingers from his mouth. Her breath caught as he pressed them to her lips, tracing them until they parted at his touch. He moaned as he slipped them inside, forcing her to taste what remained of the slick heat that coated them. The faint memory of her own musk made her nostrils flare. She could feel her core pulse with want. Nil’s smile grew when her tongue swirled around his fingers, his eyes grew darker, hungrier, as he thrust into her hand.

And when she bit down, firm but gentle, she felt his cock twitch hard in her grasp.

“Turn around,” Nil hissed as he extracted his fingers from her mouth.

An anxious flutter filled her veins, a hint of suspicion as she eyed the knife in his belt and the bow strapped to his back.

“Trust me,” he whispered, a question in the statement.

She wanted this. She demanded this. She trusted his honor enough to know he wouldn’t hurt her, at least not without her consent.

She slowly turned in his arms, releasing his cock as she uncertainly stared at the boulder she had been pressed against. She had no idea what he wanted her to do, what he intended to do to her next. Everything about this was entirely new, unfamiliar territory. It was exciting, maybe a little scary, but she wouldn’t back down from the experience. It was too late to stop, anyway.

“Put your hands on the stone,” Nil whispered as his fingers grasped her leggings and began to tug them down. “Good, good,” he purred when she did as he said. With her leggings at her knees, he pressed himself against her back and gripped her hips hard. She yelped when he jerked her hips back, bending her over and pulling her up onto her toes until her backside fit snug against his hips. “This is going to be fun,” he said just before she felt his cock slip between her thighs. He gasped along with her as he teased the head over her slick folds. “Last chance, Aloy. Say the word and I’ll stop. If not, I’ll wound you so deeply, you’ll never forget me.”

She snorted. “I’m pretty sure I won’t ever forget you – with or without a wound.”

“Mm, glad to hear that,” he cooed in her ear as he pushed into her. She gasped at the pressure, the stretch, and tried to sink into him to feel more of it. He moaned in her ear, tightening his hold to keep her from moving as he tempered the pace of his entry. “Still, you left a mark on me - _nngh_ \- broke my heart as no one else has before. It’s only fair you allow me to mark you in return.”

A lump formed in her throat. “Are you saying you’re going to break my heart?” she whispered.

Nil chuckled. She could feel it rumbling against her back and shivered in delight. “I’m not so cruel,” he said before thrusting all at once, filling her with such force she lost all breath. She writhed against him as her sensitive core wrapped around him, embraced him tight. She whimpered when he refused to move. She felt satisfyingly full, but her body screamed for her to move, to buck, to dance with his in a way that would leave her delirious and euphoric. “No, no. I won’t break your heart. But I will claim it for myself, as surely as you have claimed mine.”

Her eyes widened as realization dawned, bright and glorious. It was a sharp understanding he gave her, a truth so terrifying she had no idea what to do with it.

But he didn’t let her consider it for long, not as he finally, _finally_ began to move. She exhaled as he slowly pulled out. She grappled and clung to the rock when he surged back in. Another slow retreat, letting her feel every inch of him sliding through her while she clung to him, her body pleading with his to stay. Another hard, bruising thrust made her cry out at the sharp, exquisite pleasure as he struck merciless and deep. He continued the pattern, drawing out slow, and thrusting in hard, driving her mad in the best way possible.

His measured pace made her tingly and light-headed. A sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead and neck, the heat of the desert evening nothing compared to the heat of Nil’s body embracing hers. She smiled, biting her lip to restrain a moan as his hand slipped up her tunic to play with her breast. Shutting her eyes, she savored every touch, every wet thrust, and only let slip a quiet gasp when his other hand slid down her body, slipping through slick curls to play with her swollen clit.

Pleasure wound tight within her as he sped his pace. His every gasp and moan tickled her ear, every reverent whisper of her name stirred the swelling thrum of energy in her gut. He kissed her neck, wet and sloppy, gripped her to him as if he would drown without her in his arms. Her cries leaked out as he thrust harder and faster, the slap of his flesh against hers echoing off the canyon walls around them.

“Ahhh, that’s it,” he rasped in her ear as her body bucked into his. Her core clutched him tight, a shock of electric heat filled her veins. An edge drew near and she wanted to race for it, wanted to throw herself headlong into the abyss. And she wanted to take Nil with her. “Ahh, yes, magnificent,” he cried out when she reached down to tangle her fingers with his, guiding him to play with her clit harder. She could feel his cock with each thrust, tightened with excitement at the feeling of his flesh wet with her arousal, gliding smooth and sure through her canal as if it was exactly where it belonged.

“Nil,” she gasped at the first pulse that spelled her end. “I’m –”

“Don’t fight it,” he hissed, slamming into her hard and staying in place as he rotated his hips in a way that made her keenly aware of his shaft’s girth stretching her so perfectly.

“I’m not… but…” She cried out when he renewed his thrusting, harder and faster than before. His teeth sank into her neck, his fingers pinched her nipple, and he rubbed her swollen clit at a maddening, almost painful pace.

“I’m right behind you,” he groaned as a tremor seized her body, so strong she thought a Rockbreaker was shaking the ground beneath them. “I’m always right behind you…”

The promise, the assurance, shook her to her core as the coil burst and sent a bolt of heat through her body. She fell against the boulder in front of her as she shuddered and writhed. The gravel scraped at her flesh, but it only heightened her pleasure as she reached back to hold Nil, to hold the man killing her so sweetly, digging her nails into his neck and scalp and rejoicing at his pleasured hiss. His hips snapped against her, hard and unrelenting as he rode her through the rapture that took her mind to dizzying heights.

And then he stilled. She could hear the crunch of gravel beneath his feet as he struggled to push into her, as deep as he could go, grinding his hips to hers as he trembled against her back. She felt his cock swelling, pulsing, and then blinding, blissful heat filled her as he moaned his release.

The tension left his body all at once and he slumped against her. Neither of them had the strength to stand as they braced themselves on the stone.

A thrum of energy tickled her core, a tiny aftershock to the earth-shattering eruption that took her with that release. Her body squeezed the softened cock inside her, prompting Nil to groan and shift against her, refusing to pull out as he recovered from his orgasm.

She couldn’t help but snicker at the frustrated sound. He sounded like he wanted more but didn’t quite have the strength to continue just yet.

“Better than a fight?” she asked as reality settled around her once more and she struggled to ignore the awkwardness of the position. They were in the middle of a killing-field, out in the open desert where anyone could find them. They were lucky no Shadow Carja troops thought to take the pass while they coupled – that would have made for an embarrassing skirmish.

“Mm, much better,” he agreed. “Made all the better knowing I got to draw first blood,” he whispered, bringing their tangled fingers up to appraise the faint trace of blood mixed with her fluids. He laved his tongue over their fingers to clean him, still cradling her close to his body. “Did it hurt?”

“No,” she said with a shake of her head.

“Mm, that’s my girl.” He turned to nuzzle her neck and smack a kiss to her sweat slick skin. “I found me a tough one here.”

She rolled her eyes and squirmed against him. “I need to clean up, Nil.”

He growled, nipped her neck, but grudgingly released her when she bucked hard enough to push him off. He took a stumbling step back and watched as she turned around on shaking legs. His smile was insufferably smug as he swept his gaze over her.

“Share a campfire with me tonight,” he said as he tucked himself back into his silk trousers.

“I need to get back on the trail. I wasted enough time already,” she hissed while gingerly tugging her leathers back into place. She would soak in the Daybrink for a bit, wash their cum from her thighs and core, and then get back on her Strider to find Elisabet.

Her legs felt weak as she tried to move toward her mount, but Nil caught her wrist and leveled her with a stern glare.

“I’m serious, Aloy. You’re going to be sore, and riding that beast of yours won’t be comfortable,” he said. “Spend the night with me. I won’t stop you from leaving at dawn.”

She pursed her lips and looked toward her Strider. The ache between her thighs felt pleasant, but as she considered mounting the machine, she had to fight the urge to squirm and press her thighs together. Nil might have a point about riding any time soon.

She relented with a heavy sigh. “Okay. Let’s set camp by the lake so I can wash off.”

Nil grinned and used his hold on her wrist to jerk her against him. Her heart flipped in her chest when he leaned down to smack a hard kiss to her lips. He was so damn pleased that she would stay with him for the night, and for some reason, that made her happy, too.

While she cleaned in the lake, Nil prepared the camp by himself. By the time she was done, he had their bedrolls laid out, a fire going, and was perched on the shore with his bow, searching the waters for their supper. The simple domesticity of it made that flutter return to her heart, as well as made a pulse of heat grow in her belly.

The feeling sneaking up on her was strange and foreign, but not unwelcome. It filled her with a tender sort of curiosity as she wondered what they had just become. She didn’t know the word for it, and she doubted Nil would have an idea, either. They were just two hunters out in the wilds, each traveling their own ways, only joining for a short time to share a hunt when their paths crossed. But now what would happen when their roads met?

His arrow flew into the water and bobbed up a second later, skewered through a fish. She watched him grin proudly, like a boy with his first successful hunt, and then dive into the water to grab his catch before the current could take it. Laughter bubbled up in her throat, and she decided it didn’t matter what they were. She would just enjoy it for whatever it was, for however long it lasted.

“Wait for me,” she said when Nil surfaced again. He cocked his head to the side, confused by her remark as she remained on her bedroll, drying out her braids. She grinned as he swam for the shore. “The next time you find a bandit camp. Wait for me.”

His smile lit up when he understood what she meant. “You don’t need to tell me that,” he said as he climbed from the lake. Water cascaded over his sun-bronzed skin. She suddenly felt thirsty, and judging by Nil’s sly smile, he was, too. He tossed their dinner aside as he kneeled on her bedroll, and she could feel the heat of him crackling off his skin before he even touched her. He took her chin in hand, tilted her head up, and leaned down to brush a teasing kiss to her lips. “I’ll always wait for you, Aloy. _Always_.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have ideas for this - all smut, no shame. But I make no promises in terms of keeping to a schedule. I'll write and post when the whim takes me.


End file.
